Martial Arts Belt

ABSTRACT

A martial arts belt includes a belt and a pair of Velcro fastener assemblies. The belt is long enough to encircle the waist of a student and is sized to fit around a user&#39;s twice and to leave enough length to tie a traditional martial arts knot in order to form an inner loop and an outer loop. Each Velcro fastener assembly includes a loop fastener and a hook fastener. Each loop fastener is attached to one of the external sides of the inner loops of the belt and each hook fastener is attached to one of the internal sides of the outer loops of the belt side so that each loop fastener is aligned with one of the hook fasteners.

This application is a continuation-in-part of the application filed Feb. 4, 2010 under Ser. No. 12/658,595.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to a martial arts belt more particularly to a martial arts belt which includes a belt and a pair of Velco fastener assemblies.

2. Description of the Prior Art

U.S. Pat. No. 6,353,932 teaches a martial arts Gi which includes a flexible fabric garment adapted to be worn by a user. The garment has a plurality of flexible target indicia on an outwardly exposed outer surface of the garment. The garment when so worn covers at least the torso and may cover the limbs of a user.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,539,933 teaches a karate belt having a body to which is fixed a tying strap. The body of the karate belt is secured to the waist of a user independent of the tying strap. The tying strap remains free so that the user can practice tying a predetermined knot without being impeded or distracted by the need to simultaneously hold the belt about the user's waist while attempting to tie the knot. The belt includes an elongated strap of sufficient length to fit around a user's waist with first and second ends and a front side and a rear side, a first fastener on the front side of the first end and a second fastener on the rear side of the second end, the fasteners being inter-engageable to secure the first end to the second end, and a tying strap of the same material as the elongated strap attached at a central portion thereof to the front side of the second end of the elongated strap, the tying strap having a length adapted to be tied into a karate knot, whereby a user can secure the belt around the user's waist by the fasteners and tie and untie the tying strap into a karate knot without a need to support the belt. The elongated strap and tying strap are made entirely of a karate belt cloth. The first and second fasteners are hook-and-loop fasteners.

In the study of the martial arts, each student typically wears a robe that is held closed by a belt positioned around the student's waist and tied by a special knot. The knot is a part of the tradition in the study of the martial arts and is complex and difficult to tie. Normally, a student will learn to tie the knot by wrapping the belt around his or her waist and attempt to tie the complex knot while simultaneously holding the belt in place around the waist. Many students, especially young children, find it especially difficult, if not impossible, to tie the ends of the belt in the complex knot while simultaneously holding the belt about their waist, resulting in a substantial amount of time spent on practicing tying the knot instead of the martial art techniques. Therefore, it is desirable to have a belt that can be secured about the student's waist while leaving the free ends of the belt available so that the student can practice tying the knot without having to simultaneously hold the position of the belt.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,532,600 teaches a martial arts belt which has a pre-tied knot. The martial arts belt is secured with hook and loop fastening material. The martial arts belt includes a belt portion and a knot portion which are fixedly attached to one another. The belt portion has a length sufficient to encircle the waist of a wearer twice. The knot portion is a facsimile of the knot in a hand-tied belt which includes a centrally positioned knot and a first end portion and a second end portion depending freely from the knot. The knot portion is fixedly attached to the front surface of the belt portion proximate to the first end of the belt portion. The martial arts belt includes at least one securement to fasten the belt around the waist of a wearer. The securement can include mated portions of hook and loop fastening material. When worn, the belt of the present invention has the appearance of a martial arts belt which has been hand-tied in the traditional manner. The traditional martial arts jacket is secured by tying and knotting an obi, which is a belt or sash worn around the waist. In the philosophy of the martial arts, the obi is not considered to be mere securement mechanism, but has many symbolic meanings. The color of the obi has great significance. Traditionally, in karate, a beginner would be given a white obi, which in time would become soiled from handling and use until it turned brown, and would become progressively darker until it turned black. Hence, the tradition of the three primary belt colors, white, brown and black, to designate the stages of learning.

Another symbolic aspect of the obi is the manner in which it is worn. One interpretation holds that when properly worn, the obi encircles the hara or tanden, which is the center of a person. The hara, a point about three inches below the navel, is thought in Zen Buddhism to be the center of the self, and symbolically the center of the cosmos, and chi, or the life force. The knot of the obi usually touches the hara. The length of both sides of the belt from the knot to the end must be equal, which is said to symbolize the equal development of man and body.

In order to tie the correct traditional knot in the belt, a precise series of steps must be followed. First the belt is folded in half with the ends together to exactly locate the center. The center is placed on the stomach. Both ends are wrapped around the waist and crossed in the back. The ends are brought around to the front, and the end in the right hand is crossed over the end in the left hand. The wearer then switches hands on the belt ends and the end in the left hand is slipped under both pieces of belt on the wearer's waist. After tightening the belt, the wearer takes the end in the left hand and holds it in front of the body, and the end in the right hand is bent over the left. Then the end in the left hand is bent over the right hand end, up and through the knot, and the knot is tightened. The left and right hand ends should be equal in length.

An instructional course in the martial arts begins with a lesson on the proper way to tie the belt. For an instructor teaching martial arts classes to children, especially large classes, certain practical problems can arise with regard to the tying of the belt. Young children can find the proper belt tying technique difficult to master. Many instructors find that a significant portion of the entire allotted class time can be consumed before each child is able to tie the knot correctly.

Another problem with the belt is that the rigidity and width of the belt material can make it difficult to tighten the knot to a great degree. Consequently, the knot may become unraveled. Having the belt become loosened and untied during a match can create a dangerous situation because the participants may trip over the belt. It is desirable to provide a martial arts belt means to quickly achieve the appearance of traditional martial arts attire by providing a self-fastening belt having a pre-formed knot which creates a facsimile of a traditionally tied belt.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,996,855 teaches a martial arts belt which is sized to fit around a user's waist has a strap with a pair of strap sections. Each strap section has a fastening end and a tie end. The strap sections join together at a juncture located between the fastening end and the tie end of each strap section. The strap sections each have between the juncture and the fastening end of each strap section, posterior fastening devices for fastening the strap sections together behind a user's waist. Portions between the juncture and the tie end of each of the strap sections are tied into an anterior knot having dependent tails. An insignia patch can be removably secured at one of the tails for later removal or repositioning. The loose jacket (gi, dogi, or dobak) worn by martial arts participants is cinched by a traditional cloth belt tied with a specified knot. The training and customs of martial arts requires the participant to wrap this belt around the waist once or twice before tying the belt in the traditional knot. For novices, especially children, properly tying the traditional knot is difficult. Classroom training is often disrupted when a knot comes undone either normally or because of improper tying. When training a class of children, an instructor is continually interrupted by the need to help students retie their knots. Participants tolerate this inconvenience since such customs and traditions are considered an important part of the ethic, discipline and training in the martial arts.

The inventor hereby incorporates all of the above referenced patents into this specification.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is generally directed to a martial arts belt which includes a belt and a pair of Velcro fastener assemblies.

In a first aspect of the present invention the belt is long enough to encircle the waist of a student and is sized to fit around a user's twice and to leave enough length to tie a traditional martial arts knot in order to form an inner loop and an outer loop.

In a second first aspect of the present invention each Velcro fastener assembly includes a loop fastener and a hook fastener with each loop fastener being attached to one of the external side of the inner loops of the belt and each hook fastener is attached to one of the internal sides of the outer loops of the belt so that each loop fastener is aligned with one of the hook fasteners.

Other aspects and many of the attendant advantages will be more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description and considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which like reference symbols designate like parts throughout the figures.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a garment that is called a Gi according to U.S. Pat. No. 6,353,932 and that is worn with a martial arts belt.

FIG. 2 is a first drawing of a karate belt of U.S. Pat. No. 5,539,933.

FIG. 3 is a second drawing of the martial arts belt of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a third drawing of the martial arts belt of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a fourth drawing of the martial arts belt of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a fifth drawing of the martial arts belt of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a sixth drawing of the martial arts belt of FIG. 2.

FIG. 8 is a first drawing of a martial arts belt of U.S. Pat. No. 6,532,600 with the martial arts belt having a pre-tied knot.

FIG. 9 is a second drawing of the martial arts belt of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a third drawing of the martial arts belt of FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a fourth drawing of the martial arts belt of FIG. 8.

FIG. 12 is a fifth drawing of the martial arts belt of FIG. 8.

FIG. 13 is a first drawing of a martial arts belt of U.S. Pat. No. 6,996,855.

FIG. 14 is a second drawing of the martial arts belt of FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a third drawing of the martial arts belt of FIG. 13.

FIG. 16 is a fourth drawing of the martial arts belt of FIG. 13.

FIG. 17 is a first schematic drawing of a martial arts belt according to the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a second schematic drawing of the martial arts belt of FIG. 17.

FIG. 19 is a third schematic drawing of the martial arts belt of FIG. 17.

FIG. 20 is a first photograph of the martial arts belt of FIG. 17.

FIG. 21 is a second photograph of the martial arts belt of FIG. 17.

FIG. 22 is a third photograph of the martial arts belt of FIG. 17.

FIG. 23 is a fourth photograph of the martial arts belt of FIG. 17.

FIG. 24 is a fifth photograph of the martial arts belt of FIG. 17.

FIG. 25 is a sixth photograph of the martial arts belt of FIG. 17.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 17 in conjunction with FIG. 18 and FIG. 19 a martial arts belt 210 includes a belt 211 and a pair of Velcro fastener assemblies 212. The belt 211 is long enough to encircle the waist of a student which is sized to fit around a user's twice and to leave enough length to tie a traditional martial arts knot in order to form an inner loop and an outer loop. Each Velcro fastener assembly 212 includes a loop fastener 213 and a hook fastener 214. Each loop fastener 213 is attached to one of the external sides of the inner loops of the belt 211 and each hook fastener 214 is attached to one of the internal side of the outer loops of the belt 211 side. Each loop fastener 213 is aligned with one of the hook fasteners 214.

From the foregoing it can be seen that a martial arts belt which includes a belt and a pair of Velco fastener assemblies has been described. It should be noted that the sketches are not drawn to scale and that distances of and between the figures are not to be considered significant. Accordingly it is intended that the foregoing disclosure and showing made in the drawing shall be considered only as an illustration of the principle of the present invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A martial arts belt comprising: a. a belt wherein said belt is long enough to encircle the waist of a student and is sized to fit around a user's twice and to leave enough length to tie a traditional martial arts knot in order to form an inner loop and an outer loop; and b. a pair of Velcro fastener assemblies each of which includes a loop fastener and a hook fastener wherein each of said loop fastener is attached to one of the external side of said inner loops of said belt and each of said hook fastener is attached to one of the internal sides of said outer loops of the belt side so that each of said loop fasteners is aligned with one of the hook fasteners. 